Inspiration, ideas and information to help women build public speaking content, confidence and credibility. Denise Graveline is a Washington, DC-based speaker coach who has coached nearly 200 TEDMED and TEDx speakers--including one of 2016's most popular TED talks. She also has prepared speakers for presentations, testimony, and keynotes. She offers 1:1 coaching and group workshops in public speaking, presentation and media interview skills to both men and women.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I like to create public speaking workshops where small groups work together to learn tasks and get them done. Often, the large group includes smaller groups of co-workers from a particular team, unit or department--and by the end of the training, those teams are the envy of the other participants. That's because they can go on to practice and help each other long after my training is over. I'm pleased to say that many of my workshop trainees do just that, in a homegrown effort to continue improving.

And so can you. Why not start a speaker study group to help yourself improve, with support? You can certainly join a local Toastmasters group, but there's also no reason you can't find some like-minded speakers and presenters at your church, workplace or community group. Your group might be just you and one other trusted colleague or friend, or several people. You and your group can help each other by:

Serving as a friendly practice audience that can give you feedback in a safe way;

Watching videos with you of your practice sessions;

Offering ideas for phrases, gestures, movement and more;

Sharing good resources and reads on public speaking.

Do you work with a group--formal or informal--to practice your speaking? Tell us about it in the comments.

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